RZArecta:
your country is in a recession, manufacturers and importers don't have access to[b] forex[/b] and you're here talking nonsense

RZArecta:
your country is in a recession, manufacturers and importers don't have access to forex and you're here talking nonsense

tsdarkside:


[s]thunda fire forex!!...

you just dont want to get it...this global village-nonesense will give you a bloody nose..[/s]...

Progressive01:
I'd skip the pleasantries and get right to the point of this.

Nigeria is indeed a country of boundless absurdities, most of which were "invented" and found their way to the fore just after the exit of PDP which "ruled" the country for sixteen years uninterrupted.

The oddity in the attitude of the average political commentator we see today, especially from those who pitched their tent with PDP in the last election, stem more from the fact they are predominantly Christians and can't seem to stomach the thought of being led by a Muslim.

Their party leadership spared no expense in sowing the seed of religious intolerance in the hearts of Nigerians, through their dogged sponsorship of inflammable propaganda, the fruits of which we are reaping today in no small measure.

Yesterday, it was reported the Central Bank will be subsidising the dollar for intending Hajj pilgrims, and as expected, mixed, mostly negative, reactions have trailed the announcement and as expected, those people who've sworn to ensure the president is seen by all as a religious bigot have seized the opportunity to spread their propaganda throughout print and electronic media.

Time and again, we have seen that no sooner do they launch the attacks than history comes to the rescue of Mr President.

One could fault the President on a whole lot of fronts, why not. He's a mare mortal and as such must have his own imperfections. But one thing you certainly can't call the president is "religious bigot".

Here are but a few events in the past that shed light on exactly who the religious bigot is between mr President and his accusers:

1. FG Earmarks $11million for Christian pilgrims.

This was done less than a year ago. An interesting part is that the maximum amount entitled to each pilgrim is the same as what we have today- $1000 and at a lower rate of N160/dollar since the naira had more value then as opposed of N197/dollar today!!

The economy wasn't really faring any better then.

Pray tell, where were the voices of these later day activists/economists when this happened??!!

2. Buhari Cancels Govt Delegation to Hajj

Again, to show his "extreme love for Muslims and his disdain for Christians", mr President shelved plans to send a FG delegation to Hajj 2015. We didn't see "Christians" take over cyberspace to "condemn" this extreme demonstration of bigotry by the president.

Today, he's done for Muslims what he did for Christians and social media has literally been set on fire!!

3. FG Approves 65% Tax Waiver For Christian Pilgrims.

This was done earlier this year under this grim economic atmosphere, yet we never heard as much as a whistle from nobody!!

These and many more instances where the FG under President M. Buhari intervened to make things a lot easier for Christian pilgrims never became major talking points- but as soon as anything is done by the president that seem to favour Muslims, who are no less citizens of this country than Christians, it becomes a huge problem- no thanks to religious bigots who think themselves Christians!

I have been going to church since I was 3 and been listening to pastors, reverend, bishops, etc, preach the word- never a day have I heard any of them extol hate or bigotry as a virtue! Nowhere in the Bible have I read such (not that I always read the bible anyway).

Where then did these Nigerian "christians" propagating this brand of "christianity" where Muslims MUST be hated get their doctrine- PDP constitution??

Myself and many other well meaning Nigerians have been advocating that government completely hands of sponsorship of pilgrimage. Man's relationship with God is their private business and must be treated as such. If one chooses to visit Mecca or Jerusalem or the Bohemian Groove or Okija Shrine to commune with their God, let them sort their expenses out themselves!! If they can't bear the cost, they should sit asses at home and pray- God is omnipresent and can hear them from wherever whenever.

PDP "apologised" for their toxic brand of politics the other day- it would do Nigeria a whole lot of good if the party called her members and supporters to order as that "apology" appears not to have registered on their minds. Heating up the polity with religion does no one no good, certainly not a party that seeks to return to the center in 3years time.

Had the constituent units of the current governing party conducted themselves in this manner when they were the major opposition parties, imagine what the country would have looked like today.

When you set the entire country ablaze, when then would be left to rule over afterwards, her ashes??

Let a word be enough for the wise.

Thank you.

Handsomecole:
At OP despite all the facts you presented I see as driving at one point that what is good for the geese is also good for the gander. But the major point is simple. Government should hands off anything religious when is comes to sponsorship. Religion is a personal thing.

Handsomecole:
At OP despite all the facts you presented I see as driving at one point that what is good for the geese is also good for the gander. But the major point is simple. Government should hands off anything religious when is comes to sponsorship. Religion is a personal thing.

idupaul:


Don't turn this issue into a sectarian one ..where did anyone mention Islam.
All we are saying is that the govt has once more proven that it only make poor economic decision by going on to subsidizing forex for a religious excursion . As usual you pay per post agent are bent on turning the narrative into a sectarian one.

paulchucks:
pls op this is economically bad why did el rufai refuse to sponsor pilgrims is not because the economy is bad you people should not bring sentiments into this what why are saying is both christian and muslim should source their forex to lift the burden on the economy about to deep into reccession

modath:


He is just trolling... I don waka pass!!



@ idupaul ,

Name calling are we? Did you object when christians got concession? And yes, the angst & uproar is cos it's Buhari and hajj not because it's misplacement of priorities. ... no one is in any doubt.... we all know ourselves in this country..

seunmsg:
You are very on point OP, but I don't think the ongoing criticism is from "Christians who can't seem to stomach the thought of being led by a Muslim". The criticism is political and it is coming from the usual section of the country who have always criticised every decision of the PMB administration. That is why we call them wailers because they will wail about everything till 2019.

PMB approved similar gesture for christians going on pilgrimage and I don't see why muslims going on similar pilgrimage should not enjoy the same benefit. Wailers will always wail, by tomorrow, they will move on to another wailing topic.

RZArecta:
your country is in a recession, manufacturers and importers don't have access to forex and you're here talking nonsense

Progressive01:
We need to get the facts right and set the records straight lest lost genuinely ignorant people are mislead by PDP's divisive propaganda.

Still waiting on you Lalasticlala.

obailala:
If you think he wrote nonsense, then you obviously did not read the write-up till the end, very typical!

Progressive01:
If you ask me I'd rather the government indefinitely suspends sponsorship of these religious expeditions. Pilgrimage doesn't make any country better, neither does it make one a better Christian or Muslim.

Progressive01:
Lalasticlala, Seun, Mynd44, I plead that this be taken to the fp for the purpose of fairness.

Thanks.


Cc: Modath, Beremx, Egift, Midolian, Seunmsg...

Progressive01:
If you understood the post well, you'd see I didn't at any point support the action- as a matter of time, let me state it for the umpteenth time- I am totally against government sponsorship of pilgrimages whether in recession or when the economy is booming!

What I've got problem is where these people making so much noise were when those evidences I presented happened. Are they against the sponsorship simply because it involves muslims or because they care so much about the economy?? Remember, these are the same people that support NDA's dream of "grounding" our economy!! Where, you might ask, did they suddenly find their "patriotism"??

Would their submissions have been the same had this involved Christian pilgrims??

That is the problem here.

idupaul:




Why are you you guys making it a sectarian issue ..did I mention anything about religion ..The naira has been on a steady decline and the economy is in a very bad state so tell me is this the time to subsidize some religious excursion?

iamblisz:
@progressive01 its good to see that you supported your argument with facts but I still don't think Mr president did the right thing,.

Nigerian economy is already in recession spending such money on pilgrims( christians and muslims)will not help it but rather worsen it

A lot of businesses have closed down because of scarcity and increase in dollar, making this dollars available at this rate given to this pilgrims will do a lot of good to this businesses

Resently the Nigeria Olympics team are complaining of lack of govt support , am not saying giving them money will improve the economy but it would have made more sense than giving it to pilgrims cause I believe pilgrimage expenses should fully come from those who are interested in embarking in it.

Progressive01:
Lalasticlala, Seun, Mynd44, I plead that this be taken to the fp for the purpose of fairness.

Thanks.


Cc: Modath, Beremx, Egift, Midolian, Seunmsg...

fulanmafia:
Well outlined truism.

The fact is that Jonathanians have still not gotten over their hero's defeat and are acting like bulls in a China shop in the name of being in opposition.

The vile hypocrisy that has become the hallmark of their politicking only underlines their desperation to demonize the President even if it means appearing like extremist bigots with the memory capacity of a tse-tse fly.

You cannot squeeze oil out of a block of ice. It's not surprising that PDP's band of minions have become shameless intolerant religious bigots considering the history of the party. This was the same party that said Osibanjo owned 5000 churches while campaigning in the North so northerners wouldn't vote for the APC, while also calling the same party an Islamic party while campaigning in the South. Religious bigotry and borderline extremism is in their DNA.

I'm also not in support of state sponsored pilgrimages for similar reasons, and the culture it has become should be stopped, especially considering the paucity of funds that Nigeria suffers, however with that said, the furore that has been generated by bigoted wailers smacks of sheer hypocrisy and should be ignored in the understanding that they are going through a very difficult and painful period, climaxed by their defeated hero's recent instruction that they should embrace Sherriff the boko sponsor as their Chairman.

Wailers need hugs right now, not smacks.

Progressive01:
I'd skip the pleasantries and get right to the point of this.

Nigeria is indeed a country of boundless absurdities, most of which were "invented" and found their way to the fore just after the exit of PDP which "ruled" the country for sixteen years uninterrupted.

The oddity in the attitude of the average political commentator we see today, especially from those who pitched their tent with PDP in the last election, stem more from the fact they are predominantly Christians and can't seem to stomach the thought of being led by a Muslim.

Their party leadership spared no expense in sowing the seed of religious intolerance in the hearts of Nigerians, through their dogged sponsorship of inflammable propaganda, the fruits of which we are reaping today in no small measure.

Yesterday, it was reported the Central Bank will be subsidising the dollar for intending Hajj pilgrims, and as expected, mixed, mostly negative, reactions have trailed the announcement and as expected, those people who've sworn to ensure the president is seen by all as a religious bigot have seized the opportunity to spread their propaganda throughout print and electronic media.

Time and again, we have seen that no sooner do they launch the attacks than history comes to the rescue of Mr President.

One could fault the President on a whole lot of fronts, why not. He's a mare mortal and as such must have his own imperfections. But one thing you certainly can't call the president is "religious bigot".

Here are but a few events in the past that shed light on exactly who the religious bigot is between mr President and his accusers:

1. FG Earmarks $11million for Christian pilgrims.

This was done less than a year ago. An interesting part is that the maximum amount entitled to each pilgrim is the same as what we have today- $1000 and at a lower rate of N160/dollar since the naira had more value then as opposed of N197/dollar today!!

The economy wasn't really faring any better then.

Pray tell, where were the voices of these later day activists/economists when this happened??!!

2. Buhari Cancels Govt Delegation to Hajj

Again, to show his "extreme love for Muslims and his disdain for Christians", mr President shelved plans to send a FG delegation to Hajj 2015. We didn't see "Christians" take over cyberspace to "condemn" this extreme demonstration of bigotry by the president.

Today, he's done for Muslims what he did for Christians and social media has literally been set on fire!!

3. FG Approves 65% Tax Waiver For Christian Pilgrims.

This was done earlier this year under this grim economic atmosphere, yet we never heard as much as a whistle from nobody!!

These and many more instances where the FG under President M. Buhari intervened to make things a lot easier for Christian pilgrims never became major talking points- but as soon as anything is done by the president that seem to favour Muslims, who are no less citizens of this country than Christians, it becomes a huge problem- no thanks to religious bigots who think themselves Christians!

I have been going to church since I was 3 and been listening to pastors, reverend, bishops, etc, preach the word- never a day have I heard any of them extol hate or bigotry as a virtue! Nowhere in the Bible have I read such (not that I always read the bible anyway).

Where then did these Nigerian "christians" propagating this brand of "christianity" where Muslims MUST be hated get their doctrine- PDP constitution??

Myself and many other well meaning Nigerians have been advocating that government completely hands of sponsorship of pilgrimage. Man's relationship with God is their private business and must be treated as such. If one chooses to visit Mecca or Jerusalem or the Bohemian Groove or Okija Shrine to commune with their God, let them sort their expenses out themselves!! If they can't bear the cost, they should sit asses at home and pray- God is omnipresent and can hear them from wherever whenever.

PDP "apologised" for their toxic brand of politics the other day- it would do Nigeria a whole lot of good if the party called her members and supporters to order as that "apology" appears not to have registered on their minds. Heating up the polity with religion does no one no good, certainly not a party that seeks to return to the center in 3years time.

Had the constituent units of the current governing party conducted themselves in this manner when they were the major opposition parties, imagine what the country would have looked like today.

When you set the entire country ablaze, when then would be left to rule over afterwards, her ashes??

Let a word be enough for the wise.

Thank you.

tsdarkside:


you dont think progressiv.....

how many people do hajj??...do you know??...

cbn knows the numbers.....

cbn is the central bank of nigeria...remember??..

do you realy believe a central bank will give up just like that??....keep your black-market-bank...

cbn doesnt give a shi shi.......you will learn the hard way when 1 dollar=900 nairas.....

free market my left foot.....

the goverment is trying to help every nigerian in the world and you are cursing them the ol time out...

tahhhhh.....

egoistic imbeciles....